Water Sensitive Urban Design

Integration of urban planning and development with the management, protection and conservation of the water cycle. The integration of major and minor flow paths in the landscape with a range of water design techniques turns stormwater into a resource and asset, rather than a burden. Most existing urban areas can be retrospectively upgraded to provide the advantages of Water Sensitive Urban Design and Permapave™ Low Impact Solutions require substantially less land than other available solutions.

Water Sensitive Urban Design (WSUD) aims to manage stormwater by minimizing the extent of impervious surfaces and trapping pollution at either the site level or on a regional basis. WSUD provides a rational framework for incorporating permeable paving into urban design. Its benefits not only embrace stormwater management and pollution control, but include economical advantages by minimizing the costs of surface draining works, reducing the demands on stormwater sewerage and optimizing land use.

Benefits of Water Sensitive Urban Design:
1. Protection and enhancement of natural water systems within urban developments.
2.  Integration of stormwater treatment into the landscape. Stormwater in the landscape
000maximizes the visual and recreational amenity of developments.
3. Protection and improvement of the quality of water draining from urban developments into 000outfall water ways.
4. Reduction of runoff and peak flows from urban development by the incorporation of local detention measures and minimization of impervious substrates within the development.
5. Increase in value while minimizing the drainage infrastructure cost of development.

Four unique design solutions for Water Sensitive Urban Design using Permapave™ include:

Commercial & Industrial Designs:

• Parking Area Storage – Parking areas are a large generator of run-off and polluted stormwater. WSUD minimizes the extent of impervious surfaces of parking lots and the impact on downstream waterways.
• On-Site Detention For Large Sites - Large commercial & industrial sites have extensive impervious surfaces. On-site detention stores stormwater in underground tanks, driveways or landscaped depressions.

Residential Designs:

• Local Public Open Space Networks – Water Sensitive Urban Design often incorporates multi-purpose drainage corridors in residential developments, which integrate public open space with conservation corridors, stormwater management systems and recreation facilities. 
• Housing Layout – Water Sensitive Housing Layout integrates residential blocks with the surrounding drainage function and public open space, reducing impervious surfaces and protecting water quality.
• Road Layout – Water Sensitive Road Layout incorporates the natural features and topography of the site, reducing the extent of impervious road surfaces.
• Streetscape Layout – Water Sensitive Streetscape integrates the road layout and vehicular & pedestrian requirements with stormwater management needs.

Municipal Designs:

• Urban Street Design
• Storm Sewer
• Sanitary Sewer
• Water Main
• Urban Streetscape

 

back to top

Low Impact Water Sensitive Urban Design
Permapave™ Design Solutions

Wide Verge Design using Permapave™

Permapave™ with street tree planters.
Permapave™ provides trafficable surface on road verge, soil aeration, and 100% of gross pollutants.
Gravel and sand filters hydrocarbons and phosphates.
Trees take up nitrates and nutrients.

Conventional Curb & Channel incorporating Permapave™
Permapave™ with bio-retention raingarden strip. Used to create narrower verges with higher lot yield.
Permapave™ provided trafficable surface and 100% gross pollutant filter.
Sand filters all hydrocarbons and phosphates.
Plants take up nutrients and root systems maintain permeability.

back to top

Low Impact Water Sensitive Urban Design
Permapave™ Design Solutions

Wide Verge Design Using Permapave™

Wide Verge Low impact turf swale design using Permapave™ grates.
Permapave™ provides trafficable surface on road verge, soil aeration, and 100% gross pollutants.

Conventional Curb & Channel Incorporating Permapave™

Permapave™ side entry to bio-retention street tree planters.
Regular side entry (with slightly elevated entry) in case of flood overflow.
Risk mitigation should Permapave™ block.
Permapave™ planters receive first flush, filter stormwater and retain nutrients.

back to top